Skate wheels incorporating transverse-mounted and self-powered illuminating devices

ABSTRACT

An in-line skate wheel incorporating transverse-mounted and self-powered illuminating device is disclosed. The wheel includes two mutually coupled anchors, a rotor held between the two coupled anchors, multiple illuminating devices installed in transverse orientation on the rotor, a stator within the rotor but kept apart from the rotor, an axle extending through the two coupled anchors and the stator, and a protective covering placed around the rim of the first and second anchors. The transverse-mounted illuminating devices allow the skate wheel to be fitted on in-line skates and skate boards that can only use small wheels. Further, the present design can prevent scratching of the illuminating devices against the ground to avoid abrasion on the surface of the illuminating devices that would otherwise attenuate the light given out by the illuminating devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a skate wheel incorporating transverse-mounted and self-powered illuminating devices, particularly to a roller wheel installable on in-line skates and skate boards that are equipped with transverse-mounted illuminating devices and means of generating the necessary electricity to supply the illuminating devices.

2. Description of Related Art

In-line skates and skate boards are sports items popular with teenagers, as they are suitable for both leisure activities and exercise. By using the in-line skates or skate boards to do difficult acts with advanced skills, teenagers find a sense of accomplishment and a venue for self-expression. Therefore, many skating fans like to wear sportive gear and clothing to show off their personal styles, and install light or sound producing devices on the in-line skates or skate boards. These in-line skates or skate boards, when in use, can produce the light or sound effect to catch the attention of spectators. The in-line skate equipped with illuminating devices is intended to amuse the crowds as the in-line skate can produce a light trail following the movement of the skater.

Most illuminating devices are installed inside the roller wheels of in-line skates or skate boards to produce the light as the wheels rotate on the axle. The illuminating device is installed inside the wheel and perpendicular to the axis of the wheel that means the illuminating device is radially mounted on the hub extending towards the circumference of the wheel. When the skate is rolling, the illuminating devices can be easily scratched against the ground or by other obstacles causing abrasion on the surface of the illuminating devices. As a result, light emission from the illuminating devices will be partially diffracted by the uneven surface on the illuminating devices, thus the light is attenuated.

Further, since the conventional illuminating devices are protruded from the hub, these illuminating devices cannot fit in wheels with a particularly small diameter. Therefore, the conventional design of the illuminating devices is hampering efforts to create wider applications.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the present invention is to provide a modified in-line skate wheel that incorporates a transverse-mounted illuminating device. The design of the illuminating device for installation in the transverse-orientation (1) is able to reduce the diameter requirements on the wheel, (2) allows the light produced by the illuminating device to irradiate from the lateral side of the wheel, and (3) reduces the chance of scratching of the illuminating device, thus preventing the diffraction of light to attenuate the light effect.

The second object of the present invention is to provide an illuminating device that is embedded with means of generating the necessary electricity to supply the illuminating device. Therefore, the illuminating device does not need any external power source.

To this end, the skate wheel incorporating transverse-mounted and self-powered illuminating device, comprises:

-   -   two opposing and mutually coupling anchors, with the second         anchor having a recessed portion on the side opposing the first         anchor, such that when the two anchors are mutually coupled a         chamber is formed between the two coupled anchors;     -   a ring-shaped rotor being placed in the chamber between the two         coupled anchors, which rotates synchronously with the motion of         the coupled anchors;     -   multiple illuminating devices being inserted on the rotor in         transverse orientation, wherein each illuminating device has two         terminals, one terminal being connected to the metal plate of         the rotor and the other terminal being connected to an induction         coil;     -   a stator being fitted in the rotor, but not in physical contact         with the rotor;     -   an axle extending through the two coupled anchors and the stator         being secured with the axle; and     -   a protective covering, made of translucent materials, being         placed around the circumference of the two coupled anchors.

According to the present invention, multiple gaps are formed on each metal plate of the rotor corresponding to the positions of illuminating devices for accommodating the two terminals of the illuminating devices, and multiple open slots are formed on one of the two anchors corresponding to the positions of illuminating devices for receiving the illuminating devices to be installed on the rotor.

According to the present invention, the rotor is formed by an induction coil and two metal plates, wherein the induction coil is formed by a wire wound around a circular core, the two metal plates are joined together holding the induction coil in the middle of the two metal plates, and one end of the coil is connected to the mutually coupled metal plates.

Since the illuminating device is installed in a transverse orientation in relation to the upright anchors, the installed illuminating devices are embedded in the rotor. Therefore, the diameter of the wheel can be reduced as compared with conventional design of the illuminating devices, thus the present skate wheel can be fitted on in-line skates and skate boards that use small wheels. Further, the embedded design can prevent scratching of the illuminating devices against the ground or by other foreign objects that would otherwise cause abrasion on the surface of the illuminating device and attenuate the light effect.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded diagram of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the in-line skate fitted with the wheels of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 presents an in-line skate wheel (10) incorporating transverse-mounted and self-powered illuminating devices in accordance with the present invention.

FIGS. 2, 3 illustrate the structure of the present invention, including a first and a second anchor (11)(12), a rotor (13) and a stator (14) held between the two coupled anchors (11)(12), multiple illuminating devices (15) installed on the rotor (13) in transverse orientation, an axle (17) extending through the two coupled anchors (11)(12) and the stator (14), and a protective covering (18) formed over the circumference of the two coupled anchors (11)(12).

The wheel (10) is mounted on the axle (17) of the in-line skate or skate board, which is formed by two mutually coupled first and second anchors (11) (12), with the second anchor having a recessed portion on the side facing the first anchor, such that when the two anchors (11) (12) are joined a chamber is defined for accommodating the rotor (13) and the stator (14) in between the two coupled anchors (11) (12).

The ring-shaped rotor (13) is formed by a ring-shaped induction coil and two metal plates, wherein the induction coil is formed by a wire wound around a circular core, and the two metal plates are joined together holding the induction coil in the middle of the combined metal plates. The two metal plates are fixed by welding, wherein a first end of the induction coil is directly and electrically connected to the mutually coupled metal plates for boosting the efficiency of power generation. The rotor (13) is able to rotate synchronously with the rotation of the two coupled anchors (11) (12), wherein multiple gaps (132) are defined in the two metal plates corresponding to the positions of illuminating devices (15) for accommodating the illuminating devices (15), such that the terminals of the transversely-installed illuminating devices (15) do not touch the metal plates; and

-   -   multiple open slots (124) are formed on the second anchor (12)         corresponding to the positions of the illuminating devices for         receiving the illuminating devices (15) to be installed on the         rotor (13) through the second anchor(12).

The multiple illuminating devices (15) are installed on the rotor (13) in transverse orientation, wherein each illuminating device (15) is inserted in a respective one of the gaps (132) on the rotor (13) axially through a corresponding open slot (124) on the second anchor (12). Each illuminating device (15) may be a light emitting diode (LED) that has two terminals, with one terminal being electrically fixed onto one of the two metal plates and the other terminal being connected to a second end of the induction coil.

When the illuminating device (15) is lodged in the corresponding gap (132) on the rotor (13), the terminals of the transversely-installed illuminating devices (15) do not touch the coupled metal plates, and the corresponding open slot (124) allows the illuminating device (15) to give out light penetrating the anchor wall (12) and the protective covering (18) so that the light can be viewed from the outside.

The stator (14) is fitted in the rotor (13), but not in physical contact with the rotor (13), wherein the stator (14) is a ring-shaped permanent magnet.

The axle (17) is installed through the first and second anchors (11) (12) and securely engaged with the stator (14), such that when the rotor (13) synchronously rotates with the revolution of the wheel (10) the stator (14) remains stationary.

Two bearing sleeves (16) (162) are lodged in respective notches formed on the outer side of the first and second anchor (11) (12) opposite to the side facing each other, allowing the axle to extend through the space in the middle of the anchors (11)(12).

The protective covering (18) is formed on the circumference of two coupled anchors (11) (12), wherein the protective covering (18) is made of polyurethane material (PU) by injection molding covering the circumference and the lateral sides of the first and second anchors (11) (12) and binding the two anchors (11) (12) together.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the in-line skate fitted with the wheels of the present invention. When the in-line skate or skate board equipped with the skate wheels (10) is put to use, the mutually coupled anchors (11) (12) and the protective covering (18) start to rotate synchronously on the axle (17), causing the rotor (13) to rotate synchronously as opposed to the stator (14), whereby the induction coil of the rotor (13) cuts across the magnetic flux of the stator (14) producing electric current that can light up the illuminating devices (15). The light given out by the illuminating devices of in-line skates and skate boards can chart a light trail following the action of the skater thus producing the animation effect for the crowds.

With the illuminating device (15) positioned in the transverse orientation against the mutually coupled anchors (11) (12), the light emitted by the illuminating device (15) will be able to irradiate from the lateral side of the protective covering (18), while the illuminating devices (15) are protected by the protective covering (18) and the coupled anchors (11) (12). Therefore, the present design of the skate wheels is able to prevent scratching of the illuminating devices (15) against the ground or by foreign objects that otherwise would cause abrasion on the surface of the illuminating device (15).

Furthermore, with the illuminating device (15) installed in transverse orientation, the diameter and the size of the wheel (10) can be reduced in comparison with the prior art. The skate wheel (10) can be used on in-line skates and skate boards that use small wheels.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention is intended to be illustrative only and, under no circumstances, should the scope of the present invention be so restricted, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. An in-line skate wheel incorporating transverse-mounted and self-powered illuminating device, comprising: two mutually coupled first and second anchors, with the second anchor having a recessed portion on the side facing the first anchor, such that when the two anchors are joined together a chamber is defined in between walls of the two anchors; a ring-shaped rotor being placed in the chamber, wherein the rotor is formed by-a ring-shaped induction coil and two metal plates; the induction coil is formed by a wire wound around a circular core; and the two metal plates are joined together holding the induction coil therebetween, wherein a first end of the induction coil is connected to the coupled metal plates; whereby the rotor is able to revolve synchronously revolution of the two coupled anchors, multiple illuminating devices being inserted on the rotor and in transverse orientation, wherein each illuminating device has a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal being electrically fixed on one of the two metal plates, the second terminal being connected to a second end of the induction coil; a stator being fitted in the rotor, but not in physical contact with the rotor; an axle extending through the two coupled anchors and the stator; a protective covering, made of translucent materials, being placed around the circumference of the two coupled anchors; wherein multiple gaps are defined in the two metal plates and corresponding to the positions of the illuminating devices for accommodating the illuminating devices, such that the terminals of the installed illuminating devices do not touch the metal plates; and multiple open slots are formed on the second anchor corresponding to the positions of the illuminating devices for receiving the illuminating devices to be installed on the rotor through the second anchor.
 2. The in-line skate wheel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the illuminating device is a light emitting diode (LED) that has two terminals respectively connected to the two metal plates over the rotor.
 3. The in-line skate wheel as claimed in claim 1, wherein two bearing sleeves are fitted into respective notches on the outer wall of the two coupled anchors to receive the axle.
 4. The in-line skate wheel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two metal plates are joined together by welding.
 5. The in-line skate wheel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the two metal plates are joined together by welding. 